Conscious City Guide

Astrological Circumstance: Taurus with Aries Rising, Chinese year of the Pig.

ACF: We have gotten to know what you stand for through your various community oriented projects, and are excited to learn a little more of your personal story? Tell s a little bit about how you came to be who you are today and create Conscious City Guide? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

MN: I look Asian, sound Australian, and walk like an Egyptian. My heritage is such a mixture and i'm still exploring all of it and how to ground it in this life. How are all the teachings from all those beautiful cultures able to come together in formation of me: a-modern-day-woman figuring out my place in the great cosmos. I love to share experiences, new, as well as my own along the way.

Conscious City Guide was birthed by its blog-mother The Bharani Effect, a passion project I started 4 years ago, profiling conscious living people, places and products around the world. I was creating content for the blog while full-time in the music industry, an incredible, intense and rewarding experience that took me to some great places around the world, meeting and working with incredibly talented people .... but when the cycle was complete it was time to move on. I transitioned fully into working to help elevate consciousness through community. It was more aligned with the personal space I had grown into and as I was exploring all these new things, I wanted to share them.

ACF: Where did you grow up and how does where you come from (place/ lineage/ life experiences) effect the work you choose to engage in in the world?

MN: I grew up in Australia, surrounded by the ocean and Aussie bush. I think as I was developing I really took the natural surroundings I had for granted and its only in the past 5 years that I have really re-connected and established a real relationship with nature. As I developed this relationship it really did inform and guide me in the work I am doing now. My number 1 goal in life is to help activate people's deep connection to themselves, each other and earth. The bottomless amount of love and respect we can establish for that trinity will produce harmony for everything and all.

ACF: There are so many amazing practitioners facilitating so many amazing sounding offerings out there, and you spend all day sifting through “What’s out there” and putting together what feels valuable in an accessible format to make it easier for people to connect with the experiences they are most needing to have at this time…Thank you! We are wondering if, from that position, you might share what makes a facilitator/ offering stand out and gets you excited about connecting?

MN: I appreciate that so much, thank you. At the end of the day I am an explorer, what might be an incredible and connecting experience for me, might not be for another. So I aim to share any and all offerings that can ignite that conscious connection that I so deeply want for all. There are so many entry points into revealing your conscious connection, so what makes me excited about sharing these events, workshops and offerings is that they even exist in the first place ! I have so much love for all the wisdom, teachings and courage being shared to expand us beyond what is in our programmed culture. Thank you.

ACF: As time goes by, I continue to be amazed at the amount of self responsibility and self care that is required to truly be well and share that wellness with others by example. Sometimes this looks something like what we may expect when we hear “ self care rituals” ( baths, self massage, etc…) and sometimes what self care looks like for an individual is surprising. (Just as an icebreaker of an example, I went through a period of maybe 6 months where the most self loving, self caring actions for me where buying a pair of serious running sneakers and a case of organic baby food. These tools truly took on a talismanic quality and deeply communicated to all levels of my being my commitment to listening to what my body needs! ) What are some of your self care rituals?

MN: It's so true - we can get wrapped up in the more esoteric, cosmic self care - which I love, but i'm also a huge believer in that I chose to be here now as a human and to indulge myself in human experiences as well. My daily practice in the morning starts on the introspective-to-be-outrospective side. It includes walking the dog in nature, coming back and doing personal tea ceremony then an active pranic-energy meditation. I love to travel, see different parts of the world - so even if that means a short drive to a new part of town i've never seen before. This gives me space and inspiration. A glass of whiskey or red wine by a fire, laughter, food made with love and sharing that with friends are also the most important self-care to me.

ACF: Any good dreams lately?

MN: Oooooof. Always. I come from a lineage of dreamers, something I only pieced together recently. I'm trying to unpack a recently discovered theme in my dreams where I am being hunted but always being able to cloak myself with invisibility.

ACF: What are you looking forward to in 2017 ( personally, professionally, or both!)

MN: So excited about what we are doing with Conscious City Guide. Expanding that into a bigger community and making an impact in inspiring conscious lifestyle. More travel with the amazing retreats I produce for Rich Roll & Julie Piatt with the Plantpower World (Australia, Italy, Ireland and Africa here we come!). Love and new experiences !